Blade Endoscopic surgical procedures are performed using long slender surgical instruments inserted into the patient through small incisions. In order to visualize the surgical site an endoscope is also inserted into the patient through another incision. A camera is attached to the endoscope, and the image is projected onto a nearby video display, which the surgeon looks at to monitor his/her activities inside the patient.
In order to permit the surgeon to use both hands for the surgery the endoscope is held in the desired position by an assistant, a stationary adjustable arm, or a voice controlled robotic positioning device. All three have significant drawbacks. The assistant, besides being a costly paid employee, can be difficult to communicate with, can get tired, and can lose concentration and let the endoscope position drift. The stationary adjustable arms require that the surgeon reach over to adjust them with two hands, wasting valuable time and disrupting the procedure. The voice-controlled robotic positioning devices are expensive, require significant set-up effort, and often require too much time communication time.
During many procedures an assistant also positions and holds a retracting instrument in order to push tissue or organs out of the way of the surgeon's instrument. The same issues of communication, concentration, and fatigue are present in this task also.
The drawings referred to in this description should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted.